Do CLA supplements help people lose weight?
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) refers to a group of substances with slight variations of the chemical structure of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid. CLA reduces weight and fat gain in rodents, but results from more than 15 human studies on body composition show much less significant and consistent benefit. Different forms of CLA may have different effects, and researchers do not yet know how to translate the findings from animal studies to humans. Besides its availability as a supplement, CLA is found in fat-containing dairy products, beef and lamb. The type and amount of CLA in foods varies with the animal’s diet, but the amount that we can get from dairy and meat products is much less than amounts from supplements used in current studies. For now, the supplements seem relatively safe, but some studies continue to raise questions about possible increases in insulin resistance and blood sugar problems. Even studies that show “statistically significant” weight loss can mean relati
